Second Night of the Waning Pink moon, cave outside Tenochtitlan
It was not as hard as Mayahuel would have thought to live on her own. In fact, it was much like living with her "family". She already knew where everything was and what she could eat from the forest; she had learned that when she was little. But everything, despite her elevated mood and painful wounds, seemed to fly by, the days turned into minutes and minutes into mere seconds. Something nagged at the girl from the back of her mind and for some reason she could not shake the feeling of loneliness.
Mayahuel frowned into the running water of the river. The skins the God Guardian had dried for her had made fine clothing. The obsidian fur curved with her movement and flowed like silk in the winds. She looked back at the face that moved in the clear pool. Scratches from her style of life and weariness were written on her features. She looked years older rather than weeks. Something about being touched by the Guardian had changed her. She shook her head and stood. Mayahuel clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and gazed back up into the bright morning sky. The sun was nearly half up now and very little light shone through the thick trees. The small girl looked back to her rabbit traps and smiled. She had plenty of food for the next few days. Maybe she could spare some time and work on her appearance. She certainly wanted to please her new master when she got to the temple. Mayahuel removed her clothing and sandals and dipped into the cool clear waters of the river, leaving them in a heap next to a tree. She sighed as the water swept the dirt and grime from her body. Mayahuel could feel the feeling drip from her skin with the dirt as she washed with a "soap plant", a foul smelling stringy weed that grew along the banks of most water. When she feared for her toes, the girl lifted herself from the river and balled her hair up at the nape of her neck; using the whisker of the jaguar her savoir had killed, to tie it firmly. Feeling fresh and rejuvenated, Mayahuel lifted her feet and began to walk "home".
The deep depths of the cave provided some comfort when Mayahuel arrived home. She set her things down and began to build a fire to chase the cold from her bones. Her fire was still burning lightly and the rabbit meat she had set aside on sticks was finely cooked. She smiled wider at the pile of scraps she had previously called her clothing. Mayahuel shook her head, slumped on the ground, and snatched a rabbit from over the fire. As she bit into the deep brown meat, Mayahuel thought back to the alien's actions. He had been overly gentle, even through the "purity check", and had genuinely seemed like he had wanted to help her. After all, she HAD been innocent! It was her foster father's problem, not hers. Mayahuel bit down on the meat hard and tore a chunk away. Suddenly, she felt a liquid pool on her tongue. Seconds later, the pain hit.
"Frick!" she screamed, holding her mouth to keep the meat from spilling out.
Blood welled up on her tongue from her apparent anger and idiocy. Holding her food in, the girl swallowed the meat and the blood that had pooled. She opened her mouth and felt the little bump where she had bitten her tongue. It still hurt like hell. Mayahuel hissed to herself and swallowed the rest of the meat, throwing the other meal for the coyotes. She huffed a bit and pulled her previous clothing about her to get warmer than the warmth the night offered. Staring into the smoldering fire, she drifted off to sleep.
Night of the Full Flower Moon, (May) Below the Temple of Mixcoatl
Mayahuel frowned at the large temple before her. The Temple of Mixcoatl was lined at the bottom with numerous skulls and bones. The stale stench of flesh wafted from the men and women coming from the temple steps. It had taken her hours to march all the way to the center of the city and the temples in it. Mayahuel stifled a shiver and repeated her new name repeatedly in her head. Hopefully her savoir would recognize her name, maybe even her look. The teen took a deep breath as she began to ascend the 5000 steps that led to the top. Xochiyotl, Xochiyotl, Xochiyotl…
Every fiber in her being ached for oxygen as the newly named Xochiyotl conquered the top step. She panted heavily and rested her head between her legs as she allowed herself to breathe. No wonder the Amini and preists were all in good shape! They had to do this maybe even four times a day! Everything hurt and when the ache began to subside, Xochiyotl could think again. A shroud of darkness came over her humbled form. She let her head rest on the ground as a very gravelly voice growled at her.
"What have you come for peasant?" he asked.
Xochiyotl took a moment to say the proper greeting to the Amini. She never lifted her head. He grunted with inpatients and lightly tapped her with his foot to let her know she was starting to annoy him.
"I have come…to see the Honored…Cit'lal-i." she barely whispered.
For moments, nothing happened. Then, without warning, the Amini lifted her by her hair and shook the girl into facing him and his brethren. He roared and hissed long notes as his brothers nodded and stared. The priests fell to their knees as all of the messengers roared in apparent anger and frustration.
"You? See him? How dare you!" and the Amini threw her to the ground.
"I-I'm sorry…forgive me my lord!" Xochiyotl managed to sputter out as she was tossed roughly to the stone.
"Do you think you are worthy enough to see him? Do you?" he shouted again.
"n-no!" she yelped louder, trying to save her hide.
The Amini was joined by two others who also began to kick and throw her. She was tossed hard and landed a few steps down the temple. When the young woman attempted to stand, a heavy metal foot was laid across her back.
"I don't think so, little flower. You're going somewhere else."
She heard voices but was concentrating on keeping her consciousness. As the people above her head conversed, all she could think about was the promise Cit'lal-i had made her. She wanted to be his slave, to redeem what little honor she could. Abruptly, Xochiyotl was yanked to her feet by her hair again. She yelped in pain and looked into the eyes of her captor's mask. Blood began to trickle down the back of her neck.
"You'd make a good sacrifice, little one. Mixcoatl will love you." And he yanked her hair harder.
The last thing she remembered of that day was the look of the eyes of her captor's mask as he deftly punched her in the throat.
Xochiyotl woke with the worst headache she had ever had. She shook her head, but that only made it worse. Moaning with pain, the girl pulled herself into a ball and cupped her head with her hands. A clanking of metal brought her to reality. She opened her eyes to the dim light and found herself shackled to the wall. Though they were loose now, the simple pull of a lever and she would be hopeless. The priests commonly referred to the chains as "curixja" or the "binding chains". She shivered at the thought. Xochiyotl looked around in the darkness and then at the ground. She had chosen to come here. But something told her that it was a very bad idea. Amini were not kind to humans. That's just the way it was. Suddenly, she didn't care if she lived in shame, she just wanted to live. Live to see another sun, period. Xochiyotl was aware of other forms in the cage with her. She gazed in their direction and frowned. They were all in way better shape than she was. Xochiyotl hissed at one of the unchained girls to come to her. They all whimpered and shrank back as if in fear.
"For the love of the Gods! I'm chained!" she screamed at them.
"I know." Someone behind her whispered. She whipped her head around and found herself face to face with her captor. The girls whimpered louder than Xochiyotl, but she whimpered none the less. Her captor moved from his position at the entrance to the door of the cage and deftly opened it. A stink wafted from him as he stepped into Xochiyotl's personal space. The creature, the Amini, smelt of stale Naxa (Alcohol) and dried meat. He leaned down and sniffed her hair. As the monster exhaled, he groaned out of pleasure.
"I like you, slave. And I have been hungry as of late…" He sounded more tired than aroused.
Xochiyotl attempted not to scream as the large Amini's hand trailed to her breasts. Why did the males always go for her breasts and the area between her legs? She squirmed when he cupped her face with his other hand. Letting go of her chest, the monster unhooked his mask with a hiss. She had never seen one of their faces before and so it did not prepare her for his visage. The mask dropped to the stone floor carelessly. She could hardly call it a face. He had four fleshy mandibles that protruded from his lipless mouth. Razor sharp tusks grew from them and were yellowed from obvious misuse. She bit back a sob as she looked deeper. His forehead was wide and a light brown with small spikes lining it. His eyes…they glowed a sickly yellow color, pupils dilated in arousal. With his hand holding her face firmly, the creature brought his inner mouth to hers. His mandibles forced her lips to part as he pulled her more forcefully to him. His tongue plunged into her mouth as he explored every crevice of her body with his hands. By this time, Xochiyotl was struggling with her weak limbs to escape him. The chains bit into her ankles and wrists and spewed deep blood. She shrieked into his mouth and attempted to bite his tongue as he continued to roam with his hands. The Amini hissed angrily and pulled back, his hand so tight on her cheek his claws drew more blood.
"I will make you wet for me little one…I have my ways." He smiled.
Suddenly, his hand trailed down her front to her thighs. He brought his nails up between her legs underneath her furry skirt, and rubbed what lay beneath there. Xochiyotl screamed as loud as she could. Why were the Gods doing this to her? Had she deserved such a horror? The creature did not stop in his ministrations. He smiled and went to undo the strap holding up her jaguar skirt. A sound, much like growl, boomed at the entrance. Daring a look to the light of the door to the room, Xochiyotl nearly cried aloud. Well, she would have if she could. She could hear clicking and rapid taps of mandibles before her tormentor bowed his head in shame. Shame? Though her gaze was dimming, Xochiyotl dared another look to the shadow at the door. The figure stood regally and angrily as if someone had pissed him off just by being there. He looked much like the pose of the God of the Hunt in the central room of the temple. Xochiyotl shook her head and as she did, her vision went black.
Cit'lal-I could not believe his eyes. How could a fellow comrade do this to a human? They may be below them, but they were sentient and that meant they had special rights! He growled after a moment, for the creature seemed to not notice his approach. The creature would pay either with his honor of with his life. He didn't care about either one. Cit'lal-I couldn't believe she had actually come. Her black hair was frizzy and her skin oily from her predicament. She leaked blood from wounds and her arms were blackened from the beating she had received. As the other comrade walked up to Cit'lal-I he growled and took the male by his mandibles.
"Don't you ever touch my property again." he hissed in the other's face.
The other only nodded in compliment before striding off with and embarrassed look on his face.
Cit'lal-I turned his attention to the girls in the cage. He hissed a long note after looking down at the small girl. What had he named her? Ah yes, Xochiyotl. She was not in the best shape. What the hell had she been thinking coming here? He shook his head balefully at her sunken form and crouched to her height. She was chained and beaten and her clothes had been torn. The Amini was grateful he had his mask on for once. He could tell by her shape that she would wreak of torture and grime and all things unclean. Tired of sitting in the confined cage of the sacrifice cages, the Hunter lifted a knife from his knee holster and struck each one of the chains just above the joint it held. One by one, the things snapped and with a clang, he lifted her into his arms... and threw her over his shoulder. Cit'lal-I was surprised by her weight. He cocked his head and then shook it again. One of the girls reached up to his new little slave as if to wake her up from her sleep. The Amini growled loudly and hunched his back in threat, pulling the little teen on his back from the girl's reach. She had no right to touch what belonged to him! With a final growl and following hiss, Cit'lal-I stepped from the musty confines of the slave chambers and out into the bright sun of the Aztec Empire. And Xochiyotl didn't even stir.